Pneumatic alarm for railways



(No Model.) 4

T. TAYLOR.

PNEUMATIC ALARM FOR RAILWAYS. No. 401,471. Patented Apr. 16, 188-9,

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N FETiR-S. Phawulhngnphcr. Washinpan. D. Q

UNITED STATES FFICEe THEODORE TAYLOR, OF OEDARVILLE, CALIFORNIA.

PNEUMATIC ALARM FOR RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 401,471, dated April16, 1889.

' Application filed August 2'7, 1888. Serial No. 283,919- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it 12mg concern:

Be it known that I, Tnnononn TAYLOR, of Cedarville, in the county ofModoc and State of California, have invented a new and ImprovedPneumatic Railway-Track Alarm, of which the following isa specification,reference being had to the annexed drawings, forming a part thereof, inwhich- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a track to whichmy improvement has been applied. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of anair-forcing pump for supplying the pneumatic-alarm system with air underpressure, also showing the alarm mechanism; and Figs. 3 and 4 are sideelevations of the eyebolts and hooks employed in supporting the pipes.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and efficient devicefor givingan alarm when any of the track-rails of a railway are brokenor displaced.

My invention consists of pipes extending along the flanges ofrailroad-rails and connected with an air-pump and a signal for denotingwhen a rail and pipe break, as will be hereinafter fully described andspecifically claimed.

The web of the track-rails Ais bored at suitable intervals to receivethe eyebolts B or hooks O, which support pipes D D. At suitableintervals the pipes D D are connected by cross-pipes E. The ends of thepipes D D are stopped by means of caps a, or in any otherconvenient way.At a station of the railway is formedaconnection with the pipe E throughthe pipe F.

In the station is arranged a table, G, on which is placed anair-compressor, H, of ordinary construction, by which the pipe F and thepipes D D, connected therewith, may be kept filled with air underpressure. At the station, and preferably upon the table G, is arm nged aflexible bulb, I, which is connected with the pipe F, and is maintainedin an inflated condition so long as there is any air under pressure inthe pipes F, D, D, and E.

In the top of the bulb I is secured a weight, J, as shown in dottedlines, and the weight in the said bulb I is connected by a rod, 6, withan alarm-bell, c, which may be actuated either by a spring or byelectricity, the bell being of any ordinary welhknown construction.

So long as the pipes I), D, and E remain intact the bulb I remainsinflated; but when one of the pipes of the sections protected by myimproved alarm is broken by the breaking or displacement of a rail thepressure in the pipes diminishes, and the bulb I is no longer able tosustainthe weight J. Therefore the said weight drops, disengaging theactuating mechanism of the bell c or making an electrical connection, asthe case may be, thereby giving an alarm.

It is obvious that the reverse of my improved system, as abovedescribed, may be e1nployed-that is to say, a vacuum may be maintainedin the pipes D D and the alarm caused by its destruction; also, apressuregage maybe substituted for the bulb I. I do not, therefore,limit or confine myself to the exact devices or methods hereindescribed.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to securebyLetters Patent- 1. The combination, with the railroadrails, of pipessecured to the several rails parallel therewith, a pump for filling thepipes with compressed air or for exhausting the air therefrom, as thecase may be, and a signal or indicator operated by the breakin of a railand the pipe connected therewith.

2. The combination, with the railroad-rails, of pipes secured to therails parallel therewith, an air-pump for charging the pipes withcompressed air, a flexible bulb held expanded by the compressed air inthe pipe, and a signal actuated by the collapse of the bulb caused bythe breaking of a rail and the pipe connected therewith, substantiallyas set forth.

3'. The combination, with the alarm, of a compressiblebulb, aweightsupported thereby and holding the alarm looked until the airescapes from the bulb, substantially as set forth.

4:. In a pneumatic railway-track alarm, the combination, with the pipesD D, extending along the traclorails A, of the flexible bulb I, theweight J, and the alarm-bell c, substantially as specified.

THEODORE TAYLOR.

IVitnesses:

D. J. BENNER, A. O. KISTLER.

